Pump dispenser with flexible valves

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a pump chamber ( 12 ) for a dispenser ( 1 ), for example for a dispenser for liquid or paste-like substances, comprising a valve body ( 17, 18 ), the valve body ( 17, 18 ) consisting of a soft plastics material. In order to provide a pump chamber for a dispenser with a valve body, which pump chamber can be manufactured directly in an advantageous manner as regards the valve body, while having a manner of operation similar to that of conventional valve bodies, the invention proposes that the valve body ( 17, 18 ), which is formed in the shape of a cup, is accommodated in a receiving body ( 19, 20 ) that is formed from a hard plastics material, with a cup wall ( 31 ) of the valve body engaging in an elastically flexible manner against an inner surface ( 15 ) of a receiving wall of the receiving body which is formed as a receiving cup ( 19, 20 ), a fluid passage ( 21, 23 ) being furthermore provided in the receiving wall.

The invention relates to a pump chamber for a dispenser, for example for a dispenser for liquid or paste-like substances, comprising a valve body, the valve body consisting of a soft plastics material.

Pump chambers of this kind, and dispensers with such pump chambers, have already become known in many respects. Reference in this respect is made for example to WO 2007/068564 A1. As regards the valve bodies, it is provided in the dispenser mentioned, for example, that a flexible disc is placed on a spigot and the spigot then secures the disc by being reshaped in the manner of a rivet. The disc overlies, in its radially outer region, through-openings in a pump chamber base.

Starting from this, the invention is concerned with the problem of providing a pump chamber for a dispenser having a valve body, which pump chamber can at the same time be manufactured in an advantageous manner as regards the valve body, while having a manner of operation such as that of prior art valve bodies.

One possible solution to the problem is provided according to a first inventive concept by an item having the features that the valve body, which is formed in the shape of a cup, is accommodated in a receiving body that is formed from a hard plastics material, the receiving cup being preferably at the same time a part of a pump chamber base or of a pump chamber top, with a cup wall of the valve body engaging in an elastically flexible manner against an inner surface of a receiving wall of the receiving body which is formed as a receiving cup, a fluid passage being furthermore provided in the receiving wall.

The invention follows, according to this concept, the path of nesting two cup-shaped elements in one another in order to form a valve, one of the cup-shaped elements being formed in an elastic manner, at any event elastic in a substantial partial region, the other element by contrast forming a counter-abutment. Preferably the other element is formed to this extent as a hard plastics part. In principle, the other element could however also be a soft plastics part. Preferably, the inner cup-shaped element, at least in a fluid passage region, is at any event formed to be elastic.

A valve body construction of this kind and interaction of the valve body with a receiving part may be provided in the same manner for an inlet valve of the pump chamber as also for an outlet valve of the pump chamber.

The parts of the pump chamber are preferably all plastics parts, in particular plastics parts produced in the plastics injection-molding process. As materials, PP and PE may for example be in question for a hard plastics, and TPF for a soft plastics.

Further features of the invention are described and illustrated below, both in the description of the figures and in the drawings, frequently in their preferred association with the claim concept already explained; they may however also be of significance in an association with only one or more individual features which are here described or illustrated in the drawings, or independently, or in another overall concept.

Thus it is preferred that the valve body is plug-connected to the receiving cup. For example, for this, a latch spigot may be provided on the valve body and/or on the receiving cup, the spigot engaging into a corresponding latching opening in the other part.

Furthermore, a construction may however also be provided in which the valve body is connected to the receiving cup in the two-component injection-molding process. This enables the corresponding part of the pump chamber to be manufactured as a finished product at the same time in an advantageous manner as a combined injection-molded part. The required non-connectedness of the cup wall of the valve body that engages in an elastically deflectable manner against an inner surface of the receiving cup may be achieved for example by the parts being produced in a so-called multi-component injection-molding process. In this, in a first process step, initially one of the two parts, and, in a second subsequent process step, preferably in the same injection mold, merely by making available a further cavity or a further mold space, the second component, are in each case produced by injection-molding. The component produced in the first process step defines thereby the mold space used for the injection-molding of the second component, at least in part, especially in the region in which the parts are in contact with one another. For this, the materials injected are selected or adjusted in such a way that they do not weld together in the course of the molding. The required holding together of the parts may be achieved by one or more rear grips, for example corresponding to the latch spigot formation mentioned.

It is further preferred that the valve cup has a portion that passes through the receiving cup. This portion may be for example a latch spigot as already mentioned. Preferred furthermore is that the passing-through portion is rooted in the cup base of the valve cup. It may for example project out of the cup base of the valve cup only on the underside.

Further preferred is that the passing-through portion passes through the base of the receiving cup.

It may in particular also be provided that the pump chamber has two valves with one or more of the features described above.

The invention is further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which, however, only show an exemplary embodiment. The figures show the following:

FIG. 1 shows a dispenser with a pump chamber in cross-section and

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of the pump chamber of the dispenser according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 a shows a variant relating to the connection of the valve to the receiving cup; and

FIG. 2 b shows a further variant for the connection of the valve to the receiving cup.

Shown and described, in first instance with reference to FIG. 1, is a dispenser 1 that has a pump head 3, over which there engages a cap 2. The pump head 3 is supported on the base 5 of a receiving part 6 by means of a spring 3. The pump head 3 also has a discharge line 7, which interacts by means of a piston molding 8 in a cylinder body 9 that is likewise rooted in the base 5. Underneath the piston molding 8, the pump head 3 forms a pump chamber 10 in cooperation with the base 5 of the receiving part 6.

An inlet valve 11 for the pump chamber 10 is provided in the base 5, in the case of the exemplary embodiment in a region that is lower relative to the surrounding base surface in the direction of a reservoir 12. The outlet valve 13 is provided at the beginning of the line 7 in the pump head 3.

The reservoir 12 is closed on the underside by a follower piston 14, On account of the two valves of the pump chamber 10, the pump chamber is self-priming. The follower piston 14 does not require for this for example any ratchet means for support on an inner wall of the dispenser container 16 defining the reservoir.

As a variant from this, pump chambers with only one valve are also known, the follower piston then being supported on the inner wall 15 by means of a ratchet and thus can only move in the outlet direction.

Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that both the inlet valve 11 and the outlet valve 13 have a cup-shaped valve body, respectively 17 and 18, which is seated in a respective receiving cup 19 or 20, that is formed from a hard plastics material and represents the receiving body. The respective valve bodies 18 and 17 are configured to be substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to a central axis A. The valve body 18 of the outlet valve has however a deviation from the rotational symmetry in its base region, which region is associated with the fluid passage 21 that is formed in the receiving cup 19 as a fluid passage region. The fluid passage 21 is configured throughout in the manner of a window all the way to the lowermost region (see below: counter-retainer 26); in particular, preferably also with a widening of the window upwardly and a narrowing downwardly. As a result of the continuous configuration, the lowermost region of the valve body 18 is cut off as it were in the overlap region towards the window opening and the wall that has this opening. The inlet valve 11 may also be formed similarly in this regard.

The cup region of the valve body 17 or 18, see cup wall 31, engages with its outer surface against an inner surface of the respective receiving cup 19, 20.

When the dispenser head 3 is pressed down by a user after the cap 2 is removed, the inlet valve 11 closes because of the excess pressure (or it is already closed). Because of the same excess pressure, the paste-like substance present in the pump chamber 12, for example, presses however the cup wall 31 of the valve body 18 inward, at any event in the region of the fluid passage 21, see the chain-dashed illustration, so that substance can enter into the discharge line 7 and can exit for use through an opening 22.

After the pressure on the dispenser head 3 has been released, the spring 4 returns the dispenser head into the starting position according to FIG. 1. As a result of this, there exists in the pump chamber 12 a reduced pressure, which on the one hand ensures a reliable closing of the outlet valve 13, and on the other hand, acting however in principle in the same manner as described above, causes the cup wall 31 of the inlet valve 11 to move flexibly inwardly, at any event in the region of the fluid passage 23 that forms in the same manner a fluid passage region, see for this also the chain-dashed illustration in FIG. 2 of the cup wall 31 of the valve body 17, and thus substance flows into the pump chamber 12.

In the exemplary embodiment, the valve body 17 or 18 is produced with the respective receiving cup 19, 20 in the two-component injection-molding process. It is further to be seen that a cup base 24 in formed on the underside with a projection 25, which, in the exemplary embodiment, passes through the base of the receiving cup centrally with respect to the receiving cup, and on the underside of the receiving cup, merges into a counter-retainer 26 that engages on the outer side against the surface of the receiving cup. This counter-retainer is formed by way of a part, preferably defining the entire vertically projected outer surface of the receiving cup.

The cup wall 31 of the valve body extends in the exemplary embodiment at right angles to in each case the cup base 24. The cup wall 31 may also extend in an opening manner, for example in the shape of a Vee, with reference to a cross-sectional illustration—thus by enclosing an acute angle with a vertical.

Referring to FIGS. 2 a and 2 b, variants are shown, in which a latching connection is provided between the receiving cup 19 or 20 and the respective valve body 17, 18. For this, in particular in the embodiment of FIG. 2 a, the valve body 17 or 18 has a latch spigot 27 that extends on the underside from the cup base 24 and passes through a latching opening 28 in the associated base of the receiving cup 20. The valve body 17 or 18 can in this way be latchingly connected to this [spigot] by simply inserting it from above into the receiving cup 20. The arrangement may however also at the same time be provided directly for example by the multi-component injection molding mentioned, using the injection-molding process.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 b, a latch spigot 29 is provided which is integrally formed with the receiving cup 20, from the same material. The latch spigot 29 in this case passes through a latching opening 30 in the base of the valve body 17 or 18.

Preferably the latch pins 27 and 29 and the corresponding latching openings are provided in each case centrally relative to a free diameter of the base of the valve body 17 or 18.

All features disclosed are (in themselves) pertinent to the invention. The disclosure content of the associated/accompanying priority documents (copy of the prior application) is also hereby included in full in the disclosure of the application, including for the purpose of incorporating features of these documents in claims of the present application. The subsidiary claims in their optional subordinated formulation characterize independent inventive development of the prior art, in particular to undertake divisional applications based on these claims.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

-   1 dispenser -   2 cap -   3 pump head -   4 spring -   5 base -   6 receiving part -   7 discharge line -   8 piston molding -   9 cylinder body -   10 pump chamber -   11 inlet valve -   12 reservoir -   13 outlet valve -   14 follower piston -   15 inner wall -   16 dispenser container -   17 valve body -   18 valve body -   19 receiving cup -   20 receiving cup -   21 fluid passage -   22 opening -   23 fluid passage -   24 cup base -   25 projection -   26 counter-retainer -   27 latch spigot -   28 latching opening -   29 latch spigot -   30 latching opening -   31 cup wall -   A central axis 

1. Pump chamber (12) for a dispenser (1), for example for a dispenser for liquid or paste-like substances, comprising a valve body (17, 18), the valve body (17, 18) consisting of a soft plastics material, wherein the valve body (17, 18), which is formed in the shape of a cup, is accommodated in a receiving body (19, 20) that is formed from a hard plastics material, with a cup wall (31) of the valve body engaging in an elastically flexible manner against an inner surface (15) of a receiving wall of the receiving body which is formed as a receiving cup (19, 20), a fluid passage (21, 23) being furthermore provided in the receiving wall.
 2. Pump chamber according to claim 1 or in particular according thereto, wherein the valve body (17, 18) is plug-connected to the receiving cup (19, 20).
 3. Pump chamber according to claim 1 or in particular according thereto, wherein the valve body (17, 18) is connected to the receiving cup (19, 20) in the two-component injection-molding process.
 4. Pump chamber according to claim 1 or in particular according thereto, wherein the valve body (17, 18) has a portion that passes through the receiving cup (19, 20).
 5. Pump chamber according to claim 1 or in particular according thereto, wherein the through-passing portion has its base in the cup base (24) of the valve cup.
 6. Pump chamber according to claim 1 or in particular according thereto, wherein the through-passing portion passes through the base of the receiving cup.
 7. Pump chamber according to claim 1 or in particular according thereto, wherein the pump chamber has two valves with features of claim
 1. 